The Phantom Menace showed the Jedi Order at the height of its powers. They were revered as peacekeepers, feared by their enemies, occupied some primo Coruscant real estate, and had been established for millennia. Then, on the fateful night of Order 66, thousands of years of history came to a crashing end as the Jedi were wiped out and the Temple inhabitants massacred.
But could the Jedi Order return to the height of its powers? Luke made an attempt with his small Jedi training school, though that too ended with disaster at the hands of Kylo Ren. Could Rey be the one to restore their former glories? Star Wars fans are debating the matter, but for some it’s not so much a question of “could?” but one of “should?”.
Replies point out that Rey didn’t seem to have much inclination to restore the Temple, though she may at least have trained a few other Force-sensitive people who may one day take up the cause:
Another points out that it’s canon that Rey goes on to be a Jedi Master, which is a title that indicates some form of Order is re-established:
But perhaps the smartest comment argues that both the prequel and sequel trilogy underline that the Jedi Order as seen in The Phantom Menace was a calcified and moribund institution that shouldn’t be resurrected. After all, the Jedi’s rules on the strict suppression of emotion and personal relationships arguably resulted in Anakin becoming Darth Vader.
It’s also worth wondering whether the Jedi tradition of removing Force-sensitive children from their families at a very young age and indoctrinating them into a monastic order is worth fighting for.
Perhaps a smarter take says that Rey may not restore the Jedi, but The Mandalorian‘s Grogu might be up to the job. If so, this would be a centuries-long process of reconstruction and politics that’d be difficult to convey in a TV show, but we’d love to see what a Jedi order might look like with a little Mandalorian seasoning in the mix.
It’s also worth mentioning that if you want stories featuring a strong Jedi Order you can check out The High Republic books and comics projects, which take place centuries before The Phantom Menace.
